The Sunday Oregonian., April 21, 1912, Page 16, Image 16

THE srXDAY OREGOXIAX. TORTLAXD, APRIL 21, 1912.
10
LANE COUNTY DISTRICT
HAS WOMAN SUPERVISOR
Miss Goidie Van Bibber Finds Health and Adventure in Caring for
Hardest School District in Lane County.
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. BT ALFRED POWERS.
FLORENCE. Or, April 20. (Spclt)
Lsna County Is divided Into flvs
aprTlsory districts. District No.
S. which Is the most difficult of the
quintet, wss assigned to a little mite
of s woman. In Justice to the other
supervisors, who are bl huskjr men.
It ouKht to be said that this mountuln
ous, roat!les, stream-cut. schools-far
between district was not palmed off
on Miss Uoldie Van Bibber, the mite
of a woman, throueh any lack of Kal
ian try on their part. Miss Van Bibber
chose the district herself and when
she chose It had. besides her work, two
thinKS in mind, health and adventure.
The way she hikes around In shine and
ruin with perfect Impunity, would In
dicate she Is enjoying the first: and to
hear her relate her experiences you
would conclude she has been success
ful In her quest of the second.
Mivs Van Bibber has about 100
poun.ls of weicht and about SOS horse
power of energy. A man from one of
the outlylrxr districts said he won
dered at lirst why a woman had been
rhosen for this region of all regions,
but "he reckoned if thry were going
to Kit a woman, they could not have
not a better one.-' A good many people
thought last Fall that it was foolish
for a woman to undertake supervision
of the coast district. Now. however.
there remains not the least vestige of
prejudice against her gender.
As a matter of fact her being a
woman haa helped rather than hindered
her In the work. She has more tact
in dealing with fractious patrons and
school boards than a man would prob
ably have. In school misunderstand
ings she Is a veritable trouble doctor.
School boards, parents, teachers, chil
dren, all look upon her as their con
fessor and so she Is not long In a dis
trict before she know everything that
has happened there, from every point
of view. She appraises this gratuitous
testimony, most of which you may be
sure needs but little Judicial reflection,
then smilingly but firmly mak-a her
decision.
Miss Van Bibber tries to make her
work affirmative rather than negative
In character. The teachers do not dread
her visits as hostile espionage, but
look forward to her coming for inspir
ation and sympathetic counsel. the
realizes the difficulties rural teach
ers have to work against, especially
In the coast district, where school
houses are often wretched excuses and
the furniture meager and of ancient
pattern. In her own words, "there Is
not a single teacher who is not buck
ling down to her share of the work."
In difficulties between the teacher and
tlie community, if the teacher is not
too obviously In the wrong, she stands
up for the teacher. In one school a
teacher of militant methods licked"
nine boys In succession. Subsequently,
across the flesh of one boy un ln
cardanlno streak was found. The
trouble doctor was hastily summoned.
Corporal' punishment, before the com
ing of the teacher, hud Just about fall-,
en Into desuetude In this school; "lick
In' and larnln' " had not been concom
itant for years. As u result tho boys
had become extremely llbertj'-lovingr.
Miss Van Bibber knew this and told the
teacher to use a paddle next time In
stead of a switch; that while brood
streaks are UlcKil. blisters are not. or,
words to tin broad effect. If a teach
er Is having trouble any time to bring
about a jnuch-r.eeded reform that is
unpopular In the community, she takes
charge of the, movement and assumes
the responsibility. "I'll be way off
yonder when the storm breaks." she
explains tu the teacher; "I can run
away from trouble but you can't."
Miss Van Bibber likes to make the
crooked straight. '. '
YUltlns; la Hard Work.
Mis Van Bibber's supervisory dis
trict includes .1.1 regu!ar districts. One
third of these nutrlctn have never been
visited by a superintendent, and oue
third have not been visited by u super
intendent In 12 years. Miss Van Bibber
therefore found plenty to do. The sys
tem of grmiing was in a chaotic con
dition. no teucher has said she found
every child oyer 15 years old was In
the eighth grade. Some teachers had as
many us 4 or 50 classes a day. In
the majority of cases. teachers were
elghth-graoe graduates of the school
where they were teaching. When they
married, they handed over tha position
to one of their cwn eighth-grade grad- j
1 1. Fd. I'ntllf lhi diuhId knowlfiirA
cannot be transmitted without diminu
tion, a d this custom of employing pu
pils continually lowered tho standard
of teachers. This evil has been largely
remedied by state examinations. Of
the 33 teachers employed In the coast
dlbtrict this year, three are new to the
region. New blood and better blood
Is being Infused Into the schools. Thr.ee
are graduates of the fiilverslty of Ore
gon, nine are high school graduates,
and many of the others have had some
hlh school work. This increased ef
ficiency on the part of teachers Is
telllnir. Unanimously, parents agree
that their children are learning more.
Higher wages are paid. There Is a tem
pi rary disadvantage In that this year
It has not always been possible to get
teachers, but this disadvantage Is only
the early reaction of an ultimate ad
vantage. In every way. tlie schools of j
the coast district have made phenom
enal progress this year. Miss Van Bib
ber says the people themselves deserve
a large share of the praise for this.
Aa a rencral thing she has found them
enthusiastic, progressive and willing to
co-opjrate in educational matters. She
has, however, found some exceptions.
In one district most of the taxpay
ers are bachelors, grouchy and hostile
to taxes. School Is held In a private
house, where 15 pupils are taught In
a room 12 by 14 feet. There are five
windows, of four different styles. The
seats are not suited to comfort nor
straight backs, and are about as non
descript as the windows.
At one school Miss Van Bibber sug
gested that the children get drawing
material. In the evening a woman
called up on the telephone and told
her very frankly what she thought of
such "tomfoolery": "Is this Miss Van
Bibber? Did you tell Johnnie and
Mary that they had to git colored pen
cils and drawln' paper? They don't
have to. I nln't sendln' my children to
school to play. Colored pencils and
them things don't do nobody no good.
I want my children to learn read In'
and 'rltln' and "rlthmetic."
Also she has found both teachers and
patrons little In sympathy with the in
troduction of ugricultnre in the schools.
Although Miss Van Hiber Is enthusias
tic about agricultural work, she real
izes there is something in what the
rural districts claim. They say that In
the rusal schools there is no time for
an adequate study of agriculture. More
over, the children In rural districts us
ually know more about farming, than
the teachers. Tlie knowledge of agri
culture a child would get under these
conditions would never be worth la
cents to him. Besides, he serves an ap
prenticeship at agriculture mornings,
evenings. Saturdays and Summers.
Miss Van Bibber's schools are scat
tered and difficult to reach. Every
time she visits all the schools In her
district she travels 334 miles. Most of
this distance she makes on horseback.
Twenty miles sho ran make by boat.
Sometimes she Is compelled to wulkr.
Once she timed herself to reach a cer
tain slough at ebb tide, but when she
arrived found Somewhat to her dismay
that the tide was in. There was no
other way across; there was nothing to
do but wade, and wade she did. Once
dark came and found her afoot four or
five miles from her destination and no
houses . near. During midwinter she
visited one of her most distant schools
up In the mountains. For five miles.
I over a high pass, the snow was ten
osition
OSSeSSlOll versus
OR THIS,
Possession of Ten Acres of Rich Farm
and Orchard Land at
This Coupon, Cut Out, Signed and
Mailed to Us, Entitles You to Tract
Map and Other Matter FREE
As Against Your Position and Earnings
It's a subject, ilr. Wag-a-Earner, that interests you personally and we want
to ask you a personal question: How much better off are you than last year,
and the year before that? Even though your wages may be a little higher,
haven't your expenses more than kept pace with that increase?
No matter how systematic a saver you may be, unless your savings are put
where they will earn something for you, you'll find that your bank account
grows exceedingly slow. And this denying yourself and family of many things
that they should have in order to "lay by for the rainy day," together with
the requirements of your position, the exacting of your time and knowledge
every working day in the year, soon begins to tell on you.
The best incentive to persistent and systematic saving is the desire to get a
home. We believe we have the very best kind of a proposition and one lhat will
appeal to you. It's a TEN-ACRE TRACT of rich farm and orchard land down
at COLUMBIA ACRES. Our plan is to help you to become the owner of ten
acres our liberal time payments make this possible. For instance, we offer
you
A $400 TRACT OF 10 ACRES on the terms of $40 DOWN AND $10 MONTHLY
A $500 TRACT OF 10 ACRES on the terms of $50 DOWN AND $12 MONTHLY
A $600 TRACT OF 10 ACRES on the terms of $60 DOWN AND $15 MONTHLY
And there's these advantages and facilities for your consideration:
COLUMBIA ACRES is advantageously located, two and one-half miles from
the railroad and steamboat landing at Goble, Oregon, reached by a pood ma
cadam road; water procurable on every tract; rich, productive soil, free from
rock and gravel; ideal surroundings; a community of intelligent, contented home
makers. Truly an ideal proposition for those seeking a farm and or-'
chard home small in size but large in possibilities. Make up your
mind to take up a tract now, and not later, for it will cost you more
a few months hence. You can easily investigate it in a single day;
it's but a little more than an hour's ride from Portland. Come in
and make arrangements with us to go down with you.
F. B. HOLBROOK CO., Portland, Or. :
Please send me tract map and other matter
pertaining to Columbia Acres.
Name
Address 1
OUR OFFICE OPEN EVENINGS ON MONDAY AND THURSDAY
F. B. HOLBROOK CO.
214 LUMBER EXCHANGE BL'DG.
SECOND AND STARK STREETS
Main 5396-
-PHONES-
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Inches deep and the mud twelve. She
had to walk and lead . her horse. She
came upon a bear. Neither the bear
nor Miss Van Bibber was disturbed,
but the horse was; and, taking; advan
tage of Miss Van Biber's efforts to
Bet a picture of Bruin, he turned and
fled. Several times during- the Winter
she has made the stage journey of 60
miles between Mapleton and Eugene.
The stage leaves one of these places at
6 o'clock In the morning and arrives
at the other place any time between 1
o'clock and S o'clock the next morning.
8he likes to tell of one Journey dur
ing the Winter. It was a hard and
steady rain. Besides Miss Van Bibber
there was another woman passenger,
and this woman held her umbrella so
that It directed a continuous little
stream of water down the collar of her
gemmate, who was a very patient man,
as he allowed his clothes to be con
verted Into a cistern without protest.
Miss Van Bibber, noticing the heroic
suffering of this man, bethought herself
of some delicate means of alleviating
It. She herself was sitting beside the
driver., and she made It a point often
to inquire of him If her umbrella were
drenching him. But the woman was
Impervious to hints, and the cold De
cember rain continued to pour as In an
eavestrough down an umbrella rib Into
the man's collar. Whatever task Miss
Van Bibber has In hand, from settling
a quarrel to making a stage journey,
she brines to it the saving graces of
humor and sympathy. She is
as well as a supervisor.
. F.URAL MAILCARRIEF.S OF MARION AND CLACKAHA3 COUNTIES WHOSE ORGANIZATIONS AMALGAMATED AT RECENT MEETING
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AL'ltOKA. Or.. April 30. (Special. The Joint meeting here this week of the rural mall carriers of Mario n and Clackamas counties resulted
In an amalgamation of the two county organizations with' a membership of nearly 100.
The two associations have been holding Joint meetings at times heretofore, but at the annual meeting thi s week it was voted to consolidate
and the following officers were chosen for tho ensuing year: president, James W. Cox, of Salom; vice-president, Charles A.' Andrews, of Oregon
Mty: secretary, o:to C Buff, of Sllverton; treasurer, Jarvls K. Cuttsforth. of Gervats.
Telegrams were read from Senator Bourne and Representative Haw ley concerning the progress of the postoffice appropriation bill, which
nrrles an Increase for rural carriers on standard routes of i4 miles from JlooO per year to $1074 per year, with on additional compensation of
ISO per year for each mi's over 2 4 miles.
Uclrcates were present from O-egon City. Sa.'em. Cnnbj-. nervals." Molalla, Hilverton. Eeaverton. Aurora, and several visiting delegates came
over from Washington County. nearTy SO being prrsert In all. Among these were tlie president of the State Rural Carriers' . Association. Franz
Kraterer, and the stale secretary. W. H. Boyd, of Beavertin.
The address of welcome was delivered by the Aurora pusliristreet. Mrs. Iinna Snyder, and Slate President K raxberger welcomed the carriers to
Aurora In the aimence of the Mayor. The neat meeting will be held at Oregon City, upon the call of the president, the lust week In June.
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.Dover
treet
Where Is It?
What Has It Got to Do With
.ti-t 5v I .f I f-Si I limits Mil II lllTSr
W..V vw '
ft
AVe will tell you
we're going to put
Dover Street "on
the map." Don't
suppose you know
where it is. This
Dover Street is
not in Delaware or
England, but right
here in Portland.
We never knew
there was a Dover
Street in Portland
just stumbled
onto it. But there
are lota of people
around Dover
Street. In fact, if it
doesn't rain there
will be more peo
ple around Dover
Street today than
any other spot in
Portland. We'll let
i H'f ;- Ml!
1: HP
. t M
you hunt for
Dover Street. We
had to. But it has
this to do with
Ladies Suits : Mr.
Acheson has pur
chased a lot on
Dover Street and
will have a build
ing on it, and the
Acheson Cloak &
Suit Co. is going
to occupy it anil
manufacture
Cloaks and Suits
for the trade. This
means that the
Acheson Cloak &
Suit Co. is going
to retire from the
retail trade and
the splendid stock
of garments must
be closed out aa
soon as possible.
1
Y
Monday Morning This Closing
Out Sale Opens
See the Bargains in Our Windows
West Park and Morrison Sts.
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A
cheson
Cloak &
Suit Co.
a woman